Disclaimer: Pretender = not mine. The characters aren't mine, the actors aren't mine, the title isn't mine, the sets aren't mine, the production companies aren't mine, anything having to do with the show is not mine. Sigh…tell me if there's something else that I don't own because I'm feeling really sad and that will just be the final nail in the coffin. Maybe someday, I'll buy the show and then it really will be mine…someday. I don't own the Munsters (Herman Munster) or the Brady Bunch and it's characters/sets. I'm not excessively fond of the show either, but hey, Broots is my TV guy so whatever. I also don't own Dracula. Hey, you know what I think of when I think of Sasquatch? The abominable from those cheesy old Christmas movies that I love…it will make you crack up when you read it picturing him trying to eat Broots. Hah hah, so funny. By the way, I don't own him either…sigh. I think I'd sic him on NBC if I did. "Take off the Pretender?! I'll incur the wrath of the Abominable on you!" Honestly, no hard feelings to NBC, it was just a bad choice on their part…sigh…nevermore.
Summary: Jarod decides to end the chase, but he and Ms. Parker end up locked inside of a warehouse and…well, there's some arguing, some anger, and maybe something more.
Author's Note: Hey, thanks for all the great ideas! I'm definitely gonna use some of them. Watch closely to see if yours comes up… in other words, the identity of CJP…soon…
Trapped In A Box
By Bec-Bec
Chapter 6
Someday…
Jarod stared longingly at Ms. Parker before retreating to his laptop. She remained on the bed waiting for his return.
Jarod opened the e-mail and glanced at it with a puzzled expression.
Ms. Parker saw the look on Jarod's face and propped herself up on her elbows, "What is it?"
"It's encrypted."
"Oh. Will it take long to decrypt it?
"Yes."
"Do you have to stay at the computer while it does?" Ms. Parker asked, hoping that he didn't. There were many far more productive ways she could think of for him to spend his time.
"No."
"Well then…" Ms. Parker raised one arm from the bed and gestured for him to come over.
Jarod quickly set up the decryption software and walked back over to the bed. He pulled Ms. Parker's arms out from underneath her so that her back hit the mattress and lowered himself to her. He kissed down along her arm and up to her shoulder and was about to repeat the process on her other arm when she took action first, pulling his mouth to hers.
She parted his lips with her tongue and he complied with his own. Pulling back, she took his head and moved it down to her neck.
He ran his tongue over one of the previous bite marks, causing a shiver to run through Ms. Parker's body.
A few minutes later, the new clothes were discarded, but they only made it as far as the end of the bed this time. This encounter was much gentler than the previous one that morning. Though, Jarod did end up with his own little bite mark.
When they were redressed, Ms. Parker sat with Jarod's head resting in her lap, as she stroked his cheek. He was lazily playing with her other hand…the left one.
"Parker?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm really glad you chose me over the Centre."
"Me too, Jarod, me too."
"Parker?"
"Hmm?"
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Parker?"
"Yes, Jarod." She laughed at his repetition.
"I'm really hungry now, no more skipping meals."
"Well, that's kind of hard when there's nothing here to eat."
"Parker?"
"Yes?"
"Someday, when I ask you, would you marry me?"
Ms. Parker didn't answer, but continued to stroke his cheek.
She'd never felt that she was the marrying type. But then, this was Jarod…how could she refuse him anything? What did she run the risk of losing now? Nothing. Jarod wasn't going anywhere. He'd never leave before, where would he get the inclination now? So, what difference did it make if she was his by law or not? Either way, she was his.
Jarod was pained by her lack of response and dropped her hand. He hadn't really expected an answer. He wasn't even sure why he asked. He was just so afraid that he would lose her. "It's okay. You don't have to answer, I'll take you anyway you let me have you."
A tear made it's way down Ms. Parker's cheek and spilled onto Jarod's cheek. Slowly, she leaned down and kissed it away. Then, she brushed her lips against his ear.
"Someday, Jarod, when you ask me, I'll say yes."
Jarod simply smiled and recaptured her hand, looping his thumb and forefinger around her ring finger.
They sat in the silence, content with what their future would hold. Jarod, holding the hand of his Parker, curled up in her lap; Parker stroking the cheek of her Jarod, holding him close to her heart.
****
Down in the Labyrinth
Sydney and Broots had now entered a third hallway of the maze. Just like before, the lights in the previous hallway flickered off and the lights in the new hallway turned on. This passage was short, with one door on both ends. Sydney reacquired the marker from Broots and drew another arrow on the ground.
"Syd, do you have to press so hard?"
"What?" Sydney had no idea what Broots was talking about.
"The highlighter. Do you have to press so hard on it?"
"Broots, I promise, I'll buy you another one. I have no idea why you're so attached to a highlighter. What sort of significance could it possibly have for you?"
Broots shrugged, "I just don't like seeing it get mangled…Why?" he questioned, "You know, sometimes I worry that I'm going insane, is that what this is? Worrying about whether or not inanimate objects are shredded or not? Or is it just me being me? Or am I someone else? Would I ever know if I had a split personality? I mean, how could anyone with a split personality know that they had a split personality? They're crazy, right? You wouldn't know that you were crazy. Or is it like psychopaths and sociopaths, where a psychopath doesn't know right from wrong, but a sociopath does and does the wrong thing anyway?" Broots finally stopped for air.
Sydney took the chance to speak to him, "Broots, I really am worried now. What's wrong with you?"
Broots finally snapped and started shouting angrily, " What's wrong?! What's wrong?! We are down in a psycho funhouse, in a building owned by the Centre that we've never heard of, searching for something…we don't even know what we're looking for…We have no idea who planned this or why we're here. Ms. Parker may be dead and Sam too. My highlighter is ruined and Sasquatch, Dracula, or Herman Munster may be coming to eat me! I'm scared out of my mind and you wanna know what's wrong." Broots' tirade finally ended. Sydney just stared at him. "Sorry, Syd," Broots gave an exasperated sigh, "…I'm just tired."
"It's understandable Broots, we haven't slept in over 24 hours."
"Yah, I know… Herman Munster would never have tried to eat anyone…he was too goofy and lighthearted…Do you think he was a cat person or a dog person?"
"I wouldn't know, Broots…And, don't worry, I really will buy you a new highlighter."
"Thanks, Syd."
"Now, lets choose which door comes next in- what did you call it?"
"A psycho funhouse."
Sydney half smiled, "You'll have to tell that one to Ms. Parker, it sounds like something she'd say."
Broots nodded and went to the door on the left. Sydney walked to the one on the right.
"On the count of three?" Broots said to Sydney.
"Yes."
Together they counted, "one, two, three."
Broots' door revealed a broom closet. He reached in and pulled something out, "Mop?" he asked Sydney.
Sydney chuckled slightly, "No thank you Broots. Come here, there's a long hallway with about eight doors."
"What do you want to bet that each one I open is a broom closet?" Broots joked halfheartedly as he walked over to where Sydney was holding the door open.
"Don't worry so much, Broots."
"I wish I didn't have to, but with the Centre, all I can do is worry."
"Hmm…if it is the Centre. It still makes me think of Jarod."
"Syd, for our sake, I really hope it is Jarod."
Broots stopped in front of the first door on the left and opened it. It revealed a sink in a small cubicle. "A sink, what do you know, just what I always wanted."
Sydney opened the corresponding door on the other side of the hallway. It revealed what appeared to be an extremely large walk in closet. The walls were covered in everything from men's slacks and woman's capris to tuxedos and brightly coloured gowns.
Broots walked over, "Wow, what's all of this for?"
"I don't know, I think we'll have to keep going to find out what it all means."
The next two doors concealed an operating room and a room set up to resemble a living room, something like the Brady Bunch living room.
"Wow, I feel like I just stepped into Mike and Carol Brady's house."
"Who?"
"The Brady Bunch. It was a show in the early 70s about this woman with three daughters who met a man with three sons and they got married and they had a maid named Alice, it was a 'group that somehow formed a family.'"
"Yes, that's all very charming, Broots, but what does it have to do with an operating room, a sink, and a closet full of clothing?"
"I don't know."
They opened the next set of doors. These two doors led into a kitchen and a room which was filled with tall artificial trees so that it resembled a forest, it was incredibly large, by the looks of it.
"Wow, this just keeps getting weirder. Why would you set up a forest in the basement of a warehouse in the middle of Los Angeles?"
"I don't know Broots, but it's starting to resemble sets created to run SIMs."
"Wow, do you think the Centre ran SIMs in this building?"
"Anything's a possibility."
They came to the last set of doors. The right hand door opened on a very cluttered office. The left-hand door was locked.
"Syd, this door is locked."
"Well, experience with the Centre tells me that whatever's behind the locked door is the truth you've been searching for. Let's try to open it."
Broots shook his head sadly, "Sydney, seeing as we're not currently at the Centre, I feel free to tell you that I hate working there, that said, I'm going to need your pen."
"My pen?"
"So I can use the metal parts to pick the lock."
"Oh."
"Don't worry, Syd, I'll buy you another one."
Sydney smiled softly at the way Broots tried to lighten the mood.
After dismantling the pen, Broots went to work on the lock.
It clicked open in a matter of seconds. They walked through the door, which sprung shut and locked again right behind them. However, there was no keyhole or latch on this side to let them back out.
"Spring loaded hinges and a handle which only locks and unlocks one way. We better hope that we're locked in someplace we can get out of elsewhere." Broots commented.
They were now faced with a staircase. It only went up one level.
Mounting the steps, they walked up to the top. There was another door, also locked.
Broots picked it open as well. Again, as they walked through, the door sprung shut and locked behind them.
They had come up inside of a small room. Broots walked over to the wall and flicked on the light switch. It was some sort of office.
"Broots, does anything about this office seem odd to you?"
"There's no computer."
"Other than that, Broots. Look, there are no papers, no pens or books, there's nothing but a desk and a chair and some empty book cases."
"Oh, you're right. That's odd. Who has an office without any papers?"
"Someone who doesn't really use their office."
"Hey, Syd, where do you think this door goes?" He walked over to a door on the opposite wall leaned against it and stumbled through as it opened.
The door led right into the first sub-level of the warehouse, and there, sitting on a bed, were Ms. Parker and Jarod.
"Ms. Parker?" Broots said, full of surprise.
Hearing Ms. Parker's name, Sydney walked up right behind Broots.
Ms. Parker pulled her head up at the sound of her name, and Jarod turned his eyes in Broots direction.
Jarod lifted his head out of Ms. Parker's lap and started to pull himself up, about to let go of Ms. Parker's hand, but she pulled him back to her. He turned his eyes up to her questioningly.
"It's okay," she whispered to him. He settled back in and they both turned to look at Broots and Sydney.
Broots was stuck to the spot he was standing in and he was sure his jaw had hit the floor at the sight before him. Sydney looked a bit less shocked, but, never the less, they were both silent.
"What's the matter Dr. Freud? Never seen a woman and a man sitting on a bed before?" Her voice was slightly filled with her Centre harshness, but was much less hard around the edges than usual. She turned her attention toward Broots, "What about you Broots? I'm sure you've seen this a million times on all of that late night television you watch."
Broots stuttered, "Y-yes. B-but…this is y-you…and J-Jarod…"
"And that surprises you?" she almost laughed but managed to maintain her composure, all the while, continuing to stroke Jarod's cheek. Jarod kept his face expressionless, waiting to see how everything would unfold.
Sydney finally spoke, "Only mildly. With your history, I expected as much." He became quite amused at the scene of his surrogate son and surrogate daughter so completely at ease in each other's grasp. The two people he cared most about, not as edgy or angry around each other any longer. For a moment, he wondered what had happened, but even he wasn't naïve enough to believe they had been locked up in a building together for almost a day and a half without doing anything. After all, these were two people whom only just realized how much they really meant to each other…and Parker was in Jarod's Pez shirt.
"What's so funny, Syd?" Ms. Parker slightly smiled, knowing exactly what he was amused at.
"The sight of you, not in a suit with high heels barking out orders, but in a shirt which has Pez written across it, red boxers, and with Jarod curled up in your lap and..." he trailed off.
"Happy," she finished for him.
"Yes, happy."
Jarod just lay there silently, observing how Parker now spoke to his mentor.
"I suppose I don't need to ask if you're happy, Jarod. I've known you far too long."
Jarod gave a half smile. This time, when he pulled himself out of Parker's lap, she let him sit up, but she wrapped her arms around him from the back, not willing to break contact with him. She settled her chin on his shoulder.
"Of course, Sydney. Ms. Parker speaks for us both."
Broots finally spoke again, "B-but, I don't understand. W-what happened? W-what's going on?"
"You've got eyes, you know," Ms. Parker said, a bit annoyed.
"W-what? I don't…what?"
"Broots, let me spell it out for you, Jarod and I are together now," Ms. Parker told the stunned man.
"H-how?"
"Broots, you've got a daughter, I'm sure you know how these things happen," she nestled her chin in closer to Jarod's neck and, for the first time, Broots and Sydney noticed the little pink spots each had on their necks.
Sydney hid his further amusement behind a blank face.
Broots blushed, "S-still. I-it's you and J-Jarod. We've been chasing him for the last five years and now you're…I don't understand. Did the Centre…What's…I don't…How?"
"Broots, if life were meant to make sense, the Centre never would have existed." Ms. Parker replied blandly.
"Don't worry, Broots, no one's been brainwashed or anything, Parker and I just came to an understanding. It certainly took us long enough." Jarod stated to the stunned man
"Mmm, too long," Ms. Parker kissed his neck softly.
Broots blushed again and Ms. Parker raised her head back up and stared at him. "Shut your mouth Broots, it can't possibly be that strange."
"Oh yes it can."
Ms. Parker just glared at him and he stepped back a little. He didn't want to get Ms. Parker angry. He tried to change the subject, "Do you know why we're in here yet?"
"Yes, Jarod, did you set this up?" Sydney asked.
"No, I thought the Centre did."
"We don't know if they did or not. Did you know that this building belonged to the Centre?" Broots had finally controlled his stutter.
"What?!" Ms. Parker and Jarod answered simultaneously as they both tensed.
Suddenly, Jarod's laptop let out a loud beep. The decryption was finished.
Author's Note: Hey, thanks for pointing out my typo, LadyNiko. I found it, but I don't feel like changing it, just so that this story can be flawed because flaws are beautiful…in their own way. I'm sure there are plenty because my fingers can't keep up with my head sometimes. By the way, "here" is a noun because it's a place. Did you guys read my disclaimer for this chapter? You really have to read it with the Abominable as Sasquatch, it's so funny! Sigh, maybe it's just me.
I was gonna leave this chapter off right when Broots stumbled in and found Ms. Parker and Jarod, but then the chapter seemed too short. Besides, I wanted to write more, not that I haven't been a chapter ahead of posting before, but I had special requests to make this chapter longer. By the way, Gina, I'm gonna make you sit down and send me a review for this! So be ready! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I'm coming closer to an explanation…I guess…I may drag it out some more, it depends. Send me some more ideas! I'm absorbing everything everybody says and mixing it all together to form one super duper extra big plot…I hope, otherwise, my brain's just turning it into one of Broots' thought smoothies (obscure reference to Chapter 3)…hmm. Please Review!!! Luv Ya All! Buh Bye!